South-Carolina

SC politicians respond to continued shutdown over including subsidies in spending plan

Published

5 months ago

October 16, 2025

Press Room

SC politicians respond to continued shutdown over including subsidies in spending plan

South Carolina politicians are active in Washington amid a government shutdown and upcoming 2026 elections.
A new poll shows a tight Republican gubernatorial race, while Sen. Lindsey Graham leads in the Senate primary.
Republicans and Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation blame each other for the ongoing shutdown.

A temporary spending plan to get the government back up and running continues to stall out in the Senate as the shutdown becomes one of the longest in U.S. history.

South Carolina’s politicians have been active in Washington D.C. and at home advocating for an end to the shutdown. Many of these same politicians are also in the midst of campaigns as the 2026 governor’s race, Senate and congressional elections all approach.

This week’s About Politics takes a look at how South Carolina’s members of Congress are pushing to end a shutdown, new polling numbers ahead of the election, and a key endorsement one House member earned from the president.

New poll on the gubernatorial and Senate races

Quantus Insights, a polling and election forecasting organization, conducted a survey of South Carolina Republican voters ahead of next year’s gubernatorial race. Their poll of 600 registered Republican voters show tight margins between three Republican candidates: Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (District 1).

According to the Oct. 7 poll, the majority of surveyed Republican voters are still unsure who they support as South Carolina’s next governor with 35% of respondents stating they are undecided. About 17% said they support Evette’s campaign compared to Mace’s and Wilson’s 16%.

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-District 5), racked up 11% of support from survey takers while State Sen. Josh Kimbrell (SC- District 11) earned 5%.

Quantus Insights also surveyed the 600 registered Republican voters on the 2026 Senate race.

Three Republicans are running in the Senate primary race so far: Graham, Greenville businessman Mark Lynch and Project 2025 author Paul Dans.

About 58% of survey respondents said they support Graham’s campaign compared to 15% who support Lynch and 7% who support Dans. About a fifth of the survey respondents said they are still undecided on who they support for Senate.

Lindsey Graham addresses shutdown on Meet the Press

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- South Carolina, appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Oct. 12, where he spoke to host Kristen Welker about several topics, including wars overseas and the government shutdown.

Welker asked Graham if he supports the mass federal worker layoffs announced by the Trump administration during the shutdown, to which Graham said that decisions have to be made when there is no money coming in. He also said he opposed to the continued healthcare subsidies — the core of the spending plan disagreements.

“To my Democratic friends, I am not going to vote to extend these subsidies,” Graham said. “Let’s have a rational discussion, but not with the government shutdown. It’s up to you.”

Outcry over impacts of shutdown on military families

The U.S. government shutdown has surpassed its second week, and one of the most direct impacts of a shutdown is to military families whose military paychecks were in limbo. Some received pay on Oct. 15, while other service members did not.

Twenty seven Republican members of Congress, including South Carolina Reps. William Timmons (SC- District 4), Joe Wilson (SC-District 2) and Sheri Biggs (SC-District 3), wrote a letter to Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Oct. 15, urging him to pass a temporary spending plan to help military families. The letter called out the furlough of more than 334,000 Department of Defense civilian employees and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ limited operations.

“You have made it clear to the American people that shutting down the government is justified in pursuit of your political ends, regardless of the cost to military readiness and the well-being of servicemembers and veterans,” the letter stated. “Your political tactics are putting military members, veterans, and their families at risk.”

The government shutdown has reached a 16th day, making it tied for the third longest shutdown in U.S. history. A Senate vote on a House-passed spending plan failed for the 10th time on Oct. 16.

Clyburn responds to continued shutdown

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina’s only Democratic member of Congress, has refuted his peer’s statements that Democrats are responsible for the shutdown. Clyburn posted on X stating that the Trump administration is using the shutdown as a way to fire federal works and halt government services, while placing the blame on Democrats.

“The Trump Admin. is using the shutdown as a pretext to arbitrarily fire federal workers and upend government services while simultaneously blaming Democrats for federal workers going without pay,” Clyburn stated. “Trump and Republicans are responsible for the shutdown, firings, and chaos. Period.”Clyburn has also been a firm advocate for continuing health care subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act, saying that without them, South Carolina families will suffer.

“$2,571. That’s how much health care premiums will increase next year for an average family of four in South Carolina on a healthcare.gov plan,” Clybrun posted. “Democrats want to end this shutdown and prevent that from happening. Republicans should join us.”

President Trump endorses Timmons’ campaign

President Donald Trump posted his endorsement of Timmon’s reelection campaign on Truth Social on Oct. 14. Timmons was elected to serve the 4th Congressional District in November 2018 and is up for reelection in the 2026 midterms.

Trump wrote in the post that Timmons knows what it takes to ensure law and order and is a strong supporter of the military and law enforcement. He also commended Timmons’ stance on tax cuts, border security and second amendment rights.

“Congressman William Timmons is doing a truly fantastic job representing the wonderful people of South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Oct. 14. “William Timmons has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

South Carolina senators back restrictions for medication abortions

Graham led a group of 50 other Republican senators, including Sen. Tim Scott, in writing a letter to the Food and Drug Administration that called for a greater restriction to medication abortions.

The letter was addressed to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary. It urged them to review the FDA approval of a generic version of mifepristone. The senators argue that medication abortions can cause risks of serious medical complications, while undermining pro-life laws and states’ rights.

“Every month, thousands of abortion drugs are shipped into states that have otherwise limited access to abortion after Dobbs, degrading pro-life laws at the state level across the country,” the letter states. “Pro-life states have been forced to defend their citizens against radical abortion extremists.”

The Republican senators urge health officials to suspend the approval of new mifepristone generics pending a safety review, reinstate an in-person dispensing requirement for the drug, and suspend the distibution of the drug and its generics.

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com

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South-Carolina

South Carolina tops Allen 5-3 at North Charleston Coliseum; qualifying for Playoffs

Published

11 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina tops Allen 5-3 at North Charleston Coliseum; qualifying for Playoffs

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — On the verge of clinching a ticket to the Kelly Cup Playoffs, the South Carolina Stingrays faced off against the Allen Americans Saturday at the North Charleston Coliseum, cheered on by 5,430 fans.

For the second straight night the Rays scored early, with forward Anthony Rinaldi sending home a goal giving the Stingrays a 1-0 lead only 3:14 into the period.

Over ten minutes later the Stingrays doubled their advantage thanks to Kyler Kupka who knocked home a center goal fed by Dean Loukus on the power play.

South Carolina was ahead 2-0 with 4 minutes left in the first, however Allen Americans player Danny Katic scored a quick goal making it 2-1 at the end of the first. Allen seemed to gain momentum after that goal with Harrison Blaisdell tying the game early in the second with a shorthanded goal.

Now with the two-goal lead buffer gone the Rays were searching for a break in Allen’s defenses.

READ MORE | Stingrays sign forward Casey McDonald after four-year college career at LIU

Yet again one of the newest team acquisitions delivered as Rays player Rinaldi tucked home an odd-man chance just over five minutes into the second period pushing South Carolina back in front, 3-2.

The Allen American’s goalie Marco Costantini was peppered with shots from the rays throughout the second, as they worked to regain a larger edge. Costantini blocked 17 shots on goal in the second period and both teams moved to the third maintaining a 3-2 score.

Over seven minutes into the third period Kupka punched home his second goal of the night, building South Carolina’s lead back to 4-2. The Americans responded quickly however, when forward Michael Gildon made a score with 8:19 left in regulation.

Heading into the final minutes of the game with only a one-goal cushion, the Stingrays earned a much needed insurance goal at the hands of Casey McDonald.

Though the Americans pulled their goalie to bring out an extra player with 2:32 left, they ended up scoring only one goal, unable to totally cover the two goal lead that the Stingrays had continually built up.

With this victory, the Stingrays have qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the 30th time in 33 seasons. South Carolina has points in 15 of its last 16 games, and have 24 wins at home this season, second most in the ECHL.

The Stingrays will return to the North Charleston Coliseum on March 22nd, against the Allen Americans for Pucks and Paws Day presented by Washes and Wags Pet Grooming at 3:05 p.m.

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The fault(s) in our state: The geological forces that cause SC’s earthquakes, explained

Published

23 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

The fault(s) in our state: The geological forces that cause SC’s earthquakes, explained

COLUMBIA — You might have missed it, but the Midlands was hit by yet another earthquake this week.

The Magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck just about two miles west of Irmo on March 19, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. Geological Survey. It was a “blink and you’ll miss it” temblor, as earthquakes of that size typically just spur minor disruptions — like causing suspended objects to swing — according to the USGS.

Over the past several years, the Midlands has experienced a higher-than-normal (at least from a human perspective) level of seismic activity, The Post and Courier has previously reported.

The March 19 quake is just one of the many earthquakes the Palmetto State experiences every year.

South Carolina is bisected by a number of fault lines that cause those temblors. Those formations are the lingering scars of seismic activities that slammed continents together, raised the Appalachians from the Earth and created the Atlantic Ocean.

And those wounds are far from healed.

“Once you form a fault, it never truly disappears,” said Steven Jaume, a professor of geology and seismology at the College of Charleston.

“ If you break anything, you can glue it back together,” Jaume explained. “But unless you happen to have glue that’s stronger than the original material, it’s gonna break in the same place that broke the first time.”

Lake Murray Earthquake 3/19 (copy) — An earthquake hit near Lake Murray on March 19, 2026, making it the sixth recorded earthquake in the area in less than two months.

South Carolina Emergency Management Division/Provided

The coastal plain has historically been the most earthquake-active part of the state, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Much of that activity — including the 1886 earthquake, one of the deadliest natural disasters to strike South Carolina — has been clustered around the Summerville area.

The faults that run under the coast and Midlands are “inferred” faults. That means they require special equipment and techniques to detect, Jaume said, as the coastal plain’s sediments cover up most of the visual surface indicators.

“We usually can’t see them directly,” he explained.

“ In 1886, we don’t know exactly what moved because it did not break the Earth’s surface,” he added. “And if it doesn’t break the Earth’s surface, you can’t put your finger directly on it.”

Age is another major difference between coastal faults and their Upstate cousins, Jaume said. Many of the Upstate faults were formed when North America and Africa collided hundreds of millions of years ago, forcing the Appalachians skyward. As the two continents drifted apart, opening the Atlantic Ocean, newer fault lines began to form.

“We think the (younger faults) are being reactivated now underneath the Charleston area,” Jaume said.

The most recent temblor to strike the coastal area was a Magnitude 2 which occurred a few dozen miles offshore of McClellanville on March 13. It was the first offshore quake to hit the state in at least 20 years, according to a DNR database.

As to the Midlands swarm? It’s actually two distinct clusters — one centered in the Elgin area, and the other by Lake Murray. Jaume said both the Elgin and Lake Murray clusters appear to be the reactivation of a fault line. The March 19 quake was part of the Lake Murray cluster.

He added that it is possible for man-made reservoirs to spur earthquake activity, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with Lake Murray, which was constructed in the late 1920s. But that trend, called “Reservoir-induced Seismicity” has been documented at Lake Monticello, which was built for the VC Summer Nuclear Power Station.

“ When they put that one in, they had thousands of micro-earthquakes following the filling of that lake,” Jaume said. “And they periodically have swarms. There was one in fall of ‘21 and fall of ‘23.”

South Carolina’s fault lines fall into three categories. Strike-slip faults occur when plates move horizontally to one another. A thrust fault occurs when the plate above the fault slides up and over another. A standard fault causes the plate above the fault to slide lower than the opposing one.

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Why Tessa Johnson’s first South Carolina double-double meant so much to junior guard

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Why Tessa Johnson’s first South Carolina double-double meant so much to junior guard

COLUMBIA — Tessa Johnson giggled before she said, “This is going to sound very bad.

“But I’ve been trying to rebound this season, it just sometimes doesn’t work out for me and today it did.”

Johnson had first career double-double for South Carolina women’s basketball and found herself fielding questions about rebounding, a uncommon topic for the shooting guard.

She scored 14 points with her career-high 10 rebounds in the 103-34 victory over No. 16 seed Southern in the March Madness first-round game on March 21 in Colonial Life Arena.

It wasn’t that the junior guard woke up on the morning of her third Women’s NCAA Tournament opener and decided to start rebounding. But with a recent shooting slump, she was intentional about helping her team in other ways.

“I just wanted to do more than just scoring out there,” Johnson said. “I feel like I can do a little bit more out there and really wanted to focus on rebounding this game.”

Coach Dawn Staley’s top-seeded Gamecocks (32-3) will now play either No. 8 Clemson or No. 9 Southern Cal after Johnson’s contributions helped push them to the second round.

Johnson’s height at 6-feet does occasionally give her an advantage against some guards but given how frequently South Carolina runs in transition, it’s normally Johnson sprinting down the court instead of crashing the boards.

She leads the SEC in 3-point shooting at 44.1%, which is 10th in the nation.

Her signature spot-up shooting was highlighted on a grander scale in the 79-72 win over LSU on Feb. 14, when she started 4-of-5 in the first half, forcing Tigers coach Kim Mulkey to scream “Who can guard Tessa” at her team.

Johnson then went 10-of-34 across the next six games (29%).

To start the game against the Jaguars (20-14) it looked like Johnson hadn’t quite shaken off the slump, starting 0-of-2 from the 3-point line. She went to the locker room in the first quarter and returned three minutes later after taping two of her fingers.

She hit two 3-pointers in the third quarter and two in the fourth.

“Good I mean, there was like a cover on the hoop for everyone in the first half,” said Johnson when asked how breaking out of the 3-point slump felt. “The second half we picked it up defensively and I think that just helped us offensively.”

By halftime she was only three shy of tying her career-high in rebounds with seven, but grabbed four in the third quarter

“I wasn’t thinking about a double-double until I realized I was at eight points, eight rebounds but I really was just looking at my rebounding,” said Johnson, who is averaging a career-high 3.3. “I don’t rebound very well but now I’m getting up there.”

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky‪@bylulukesin.bsky.social‬

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